New York Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, doubled down this week on Gary Sanchez. In an interview with YES, Cashman stated that Sanchez is the starting catcher for the Yankees as they prepare for the 2021 season.
Cashman also stated that he believes the shortened 2020 season was to blame for the struggles we saw from Sanchez. The Yankees starting catcher posted the worst numbers of any catcher in baseball last year and was benched for the postseason.
The shocking thing is that the first part of that sentence wasn’t a lie. Sanchez’s abysmal .147 batting average was the worst of all catchers in baseball among catchers with 100 PA. Combine that with the poor defensive metrics and you don’t have a popular figure in New York.
The Yankees contemplated non-tendering Gary Sanchez this offseason. Ultimately, they decided to give him a contract. In my personal opinion, I think the decision was more based around fear as opposed to faith.
Sure, Sanchez made the All-Star team in 2019. However, if you go back to 2018, he’s hitting under .200 over the last three years. He’s also one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball, and the Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole, doesn’t like throwing to him.
Of course, Cole hasn’t and wouldn’t publicly say that. However, the fact is that Kyle Higashioka caught Cole exclusively before Sanchez was benched entirely. Simply put, Sanchez doesn’t have a lot going for him with the Yankees or the fans.
The Yankees leash?
The Yankees ultimately gave Gary Sanchez a contract this offseason because they fear his potential. If Sanchez is clicking on all cylinders, he’s incredible at the plate. If he played a full season, he easily could hit 40 home runs if he’s consistent.
That is insane for a catcher. However, Sanchez hasn’t shown consistency at all since 2018. 2021 is going to be the last stand for Gary Sanchez with the Yankees. The bombers want to give him one final try, but if he can’t turn it around, they need to pull the plug.
The reality is that Gary Sanchez is not going to become a better defensive catcher especially as he gets older. He might improve little things, but he’s never going to be a consistently strong defender behind the plate.
Sanchez will always have power, but if he can’t hit consistently, he’s not benefiting the Yankees. The bombers have plenty of power, but they struggle putting the ball in play. Sanchez struck out nearly 40% of the time last year.
I understand where the Yankees are coming from in giving Sanchez one final chance. However, they need to be prepared to pull the plug on this if improvement isn’t seen. If we get the same Sanchez we got in 2020, he shouldn’t be starting past the first month of 2021.